FRAN HALSALL’S new coach, James Gibson, is a former 50m world breaststroke champion.

Asked to choose three words to describe himself, Gibson once said: “confidence, positive and pecs” referring to his prodigious pectoral muscles.

On a 2003 edition of the sports-comedy quiz show They Think It’s All Over he admitted to rippling his chest muscles before races in order to “freak out” the opposition!

Now a successful coach, he guided French swimmer Florent Manadou to 50m freestyle gold at the London 2012 Olympics.

He offers a six step guide to swimming faster.

LESS IS MORE: In preparation for big competitions, make sure you taper. Drop down the distance of your sets and sessions – you could even try cutting out one of your sessions if you swim many times a week. Instead of sets of 100s, switch to 75s or 50s.

THE BIGGER THE BETTER: Make yourself stronger in the gym. This is more of a long-term plan rather than in the weeks before a competition because you don’t want to be straining your muscles in the run-up to the big day.

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE (SLOWS YOU DOWN): Breathe, but do it as little as possible. Each time you take a breath, particularly in a freestyle race, will cost you valuable milliseconds. Practice your ability to hold your breath during max effort swimming.

YOU CAN SPRINT BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE: In truth, small faults in your technique will be very costly to your overall performance because the race is so short. Normally the most efficient swimmer with the best technique will touch the wall first.

GET PUMPED: Psych yourself up, feel the rush and energy poolside, be nervous and excited and ready to swim like you’re being chased by a hungry pack of piranha.

NUTRITION, NUTRITION, NUTRITION: Muscle recovery is vital in the run-up to competition so be sensible with your diet. Eat a mixture of protein and carbs after a workout.